It’s spicy, it’s delicious, and it’s from Mexico. Of course my dad loved it. This dish was one of his poker-night staples. The recipe is a bit time-consuming, but it’s so worth it.

Let’s start with the ingredients. The rule of thumb is, if it’s green, it’s probably in this chili.

Not pictured: celery because I forgot.

Now I didn’t obey the rule I laid out in my pepper-roasting post, and I didn’t wear gloves when chopping all the jalapenos and poblanos. BIG MISTAKE! My fingers were burning all night. So PSA, guys: just wear gloves.

Anyway, there is a LOT of chopping going on in this recipe, which can get a bit tedious. This is partly because I decided to make the recipe in full, which is designed to feed a small army. I’d definitely make the full version again for a party or if I planned on freezing some, but if you’re just cooking for 2-4, I’d recommend halving the recipe.

While the ingredients are cooking, stir in flour, cumin, cloves, and cilantro. Drain the canned tomatillos, but reserve the liquid, setting the tomatillos aside. Add the tomatillo liquid to the frying pan and stir to mix well. Then transfer everything in the to the large pot.

Add the wine, chicken stock, and enchilada sauce to the large pot and heat until boiling. Mash the tomatillos and add those to the pot with the drained hominy. Once the entire mixture is boiling, reduce heat to simmer. Simmer chili in the open pot for 45 minutes. Then, serve in bowls with desired garnishes.

The chili turned out rich and flavorful, and my first bite took me right back to my living room on poker night. Deliciouso! as Dad would say. It was spicy, but not too spicy—sour cream is crucial for adjusting the spice level to your liking. I only used two jalapenos, and I couldn’t find an ancho chili at the grocery store, so maybe that would have kicked the spice up even further.

In case you’re curious, the garnishes I opted for were cheese, cilantro, yellow onion, and sour cream. I would have liked some oyster crackers in there, though. Next time!